Assembled configuration of cooling fins and heat pipes

ABSTRACT

An assembled configuration of cooling fins and heat pipes facilitates filling of a thermal interface material between contact surfaces of the cooling fins and the heat pipes and enhances stability of the cooling fins. The configuration is characterized in that each of the juxtaposed cooling fins is formed at an end thereof contacting the heat pipes with a bent portion having at least two sections so as to define an accommodating space for the thermal interface material and an extending section, wherein the accommodating space can be sufficiently filled with the thermal interface material and the extending section can be nestingly overlapped by an adjacent cooling fin, so as to effectively prevent the thermal interface material from leaking out and enhance stability of the assembled cooling fins.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a finned heat sink device and, more particularly, to an assembled configuration of cooling fins and heat pipes of a finned heat sink device which facilitates filling of a thermal interface material between the cooling fins and the heat pipes and enhances stability of the cooling fins.

2. Description of Related Art

In order to achieve rapid heat dissipation from a central processing unit (CPU) and a power supply of a general computer or from an electronic element of an electronic equipment, a finned heat sink is usually provided where heat is generated. The finned heat sink may be further provided with heat pipes penetrating cooling fins of the finned heat sink, so that heat is transferred from the heat source to the cooling fins through thermal conduction of the heat pipes to accelerate heat dissipation.

In prior art, the cooling fins and the heat pipes are assembled by penetrating the juxtaposed cooling fins with the heat pipes and applying a thermal interface material, such as a heat conductive adhesive, heat sink paste or tin paste, to contact surfaces between the heat pipes and the cooling fins for increasing contact areas therebetween, improving thermal conduction and further securing the cooling fins.

However, the aforementioned conventional approach of applying or filling the thermal interface material between the heat pipes and the cooling fins, as described in Taiwan Patent Publication Nos. 518927, 547002 and M283152, tends to incur such problems as uneven distribution or leakage of the thermal interface material or contamination by the thermal interface material.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, in view of the drawbacks of prior art, the present inventor developed an assembled configuration of cooling fins and heat pipes as disclosed herein which facilitates filling of the thermal interface material between the cooling fins and the heat pipes and enhances stability of the cooling fins.

The assembled configuration of cooling fins and heat pipes according to the present invention is characterized in that each of the cooling fins is formed at an end thereof contacting the heat pipes with a bent portion having at least two bent sections so as to define an accommodating space for a thermal interface material and an extending section to be nestingly overlapped, wherein the accommodating space can be sufficiently filled with the thermal interface material and the extending section allows an adjacent said cooling fin to be nestingly placed thereon so that not only a closed accommodating space for the thermal interface material is formed between each two adjacent said cooling fins, but also gaps between each said cooling fin and the heat pipes are completely sealed, effectively preventing the thermal interface material from leaking out. Moreover, by overlapping one cooling fin on top of another, stability of the cooling fins is also enhanced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an assembled and partially-sectioned perspective view of a fin heat sink according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a cooling fin according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional assembled view of cooling fins and a heat pipe without showing a thermal interface material filled therebetween;

FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional assembled view of the cooling fins and the heat pipe showing the thermal interface material filled therebetween;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a cooling fin according to another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cooling fin comprises a stair-shape bent portion having more than two steps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an assembled configuration of cooling fins and heat pipes according to the present invention is characterized in that each of the cooling fins 1 has through holes 11 for heat pipes 2 to pass through, and each said through hole 11 is formed with a stair-shaped bent portion 12 at a periphery thereof having an extending section 14 formed at an distal end of said stair-shaped bent portion 12, wherein the extending section 14 has an outer diameter approximately equal to an inner diameter of the stair-shaped bent portion 12.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, when the plural cooling fins 1 are successively penetrated by the heat pipes 2 at the through holes 11 and arranged in juxtaposition, a small part of the stair-shaped bent portion 12 of one said cooling fin 1 is nestingly placed over the extending section 14 of an underlying said cooling fin 1.

Thereby, a closed accommodating space 3 is defined between the stair-shaped bent portion 12 and the extending section 14 of two adjacent said cooling fins 1 so that the accommodating space 3 can be sufficiently filled with a thermal interface material 4. In addition, gaps between the through holes 11 of each said cooling fins 1 and the heat pipes 2 are completely covered and sealed.

Therefore, when the thermal interface material 4, such as a conductive adhesive, heat sink paste or tin paste, is applied or filled between the cooling fins 1 and the heat pipes 2, the thermal interface material 4 can be effectively prevented from leaking out. Meantime, the cooling fins 1 are also more stably positioned as they overlap one on top of another.

Referring to FIG. 5, the stair-shaped bent portion 12 provided at the periphery of each of the through holes 11 formed on each of the cooling fins 1 for the heat pipes 2 to pass through may be alternatively formed as a stair-shaped bent portion 13 having more than one step to produce the same result as described above.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that numerous variations will be possible to the disclosed embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 

1. An assembled configuration of cooling fins and heat pipes, characterized in that a stair-shaped bent portion is formed at a periphery of each of through holes provided on each of the cooling fins where the heat pipes pass through said cooling fin, and the stair-shaped bent portion further comprises an extending section at a distal end thereof, wherein the extending section has an outer diameter approximately equal to an inner diameter of the stair-shaped bent portion; and when the cooling fins are to be assembled with the heat pipes, the cooling fins are successively penetrated by the heat pipes at the through holes and arranged in juxtaposition, so that a small part of the stair-shaped bent portion of one said cooling fin is nestingly placed over the extending section of an underlying said cooling fin, thereby defining a closed accommodating space between the stair-shaped bent portion and the extending section of the two adjacent cooling fins which is sufficiently filled by a thermal interface material, and completely covering gaps between the through holes of each said cooling fin and the heat pipes so as to effectively prevent the thermal interface material from leaking out and enhance stability of the cooling fins as they overlap one on top of another.
 2. The assembled configuration of cooling fins and heat pipes as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stair-shaped bent portion formed at the periphery of each of the through holes on each said cooling fin where the heat pipes pass through said cooling fin is formed as a stair-shaped bent portion having more than one steps. 